RESEARCH AND SCIENCE

A February 18, 2020 Technology Networks article spotlighted new research from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine on detecting the earliest possible signs of cognitive performance issues for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Jeremy A. Elman, PhD and colleagues looked-at whether even subtly poor cognitive performance could a predictor that Aβ-negative levels were likely to become positive. "Once a person reaches the point of being Aβ-positive, it means that there is already substantial underlying pathology. It would be advantageous to identify at-risk individuals before they develop substantial amyloid burden to improve treatment efficacy and slow progression to AD dementia,” said senior study author William S. Kremen, PhD.

BRAIN HEALTH

A February 18, 2020 ABC News 5 Cleveland broadcast segment highlighted a new pilot project recently launched at Twinsburg Family Health Center to help diagnose signs of early Alzheimer’s disease. The initiative includes a 10-minute self-administered cognitive test on visual memory and speed processing which patients complete in the waiting room, before seeing the doctor. "You’re not going to give a PET scan to everyone over the age of 65. It cost $7,000 each time you do the test, sometimes even more. So here we can do a test that is almost no cost, it can widdle the field down to the people who we think might have Alzheimer’s Disease then you could go ahead and do more expensive tests,” said Dr. Stephen Rao.

CAREGIVING CORNER

A February 18, 2020 Hotty Toddy article focused on the Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Support Group, which has been providing a safe space for families experiencing dementia for 35 years. “We have been told that we may be the longest continuous Alzheimer’s group in the nation, as many start and stop over the years,” said group founder Jo Ann O’Quin.

EVENTS AND RESOURCES

Join-in the “Gender Symposium 2020: The researcher journey through a gender lens.” The event brings together leaders and stakeholders from higher education, funders, professional organizations and policymakers. Hear the findings from Elsevier’s most recent global gender report. March 18, 2020 in Washington, DC.